The Clockmaker and the Pirate - EVERMORE BOOK 1

Chapter 31 -- The Rivoli Castle, 8 August 1650

I expect to feel the sharp pain of the sword at any moment, and when it doesn't come, I begin to grow impatient. If you're going to kill me, do me a favor and make it speedy. I'm tempted to just grab the sword myself to speed up the inevitable.

But instead, I hear a squeal. I open my eyes and sit up, startled, focusing on Kirstin. There's an arm around her neck, like someone is holding her from behind. "Let go of me! Let go you of me you stupid--"

Her sentence is interrupted by something being shoved in her mouth. For a moment she looks surprised, then angry. Then she passes out and collapses on the person behind her.

K.O. lets out an exhale and catches her. "Gotcha," he says quietly, pulling the now empty vial from Kirstin's lips.

For a moment, we're all too stunned to say anything. We'd done it. We'd probably done it in the least peaceful, least practical way possible, but we'd done it nonetheless. And somehow I'm still alive.

I let out a nervous laugh, shattering the silence in the ballroom.

"Oh my god," Lindsey cries, standing up from where Kirstin had thrown her. "Oh my god, oh my god." She runs to where K.O., Kirstin, and I are, her face wet with tears and her hands shaky.

"Linds," K.O. says, his face morphing into a smile, even in the darkest of times.

But Lindsey ignores him. "Oh my god," she says, taking Kirstin out of K.O.'s arms and laying her down on the floor. "Oh my god, Mama."

K.O.'s face falls as he realizes that Lindsey wasn't running to him.

"Mum?" Lindsey says, shaking Kirstin's arm. "Mum, wake up. Please tell me it worked, please..."

K.O. meets my eye. Mum? He mouths, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Boy, oh boy does he have a lot to catch up on.

"Kevin?" Avi calls from another part of the ballroom, standing up from a seated position with great difficulty.

"Avi," K.O. replies, his face lighting up.

Despite his hurt leg, Avi runs to K.O. I don't think I've ever seen him run before. The two collide in a bear hug. I think Avi might be crying. "Brother," K.O. says, laughing. With all his might, he lifts Avi up in the air and swings him around. Avi doesn't complain or groan, which is a rarity.

I turn to Mitch with a smile on my face to see that he's still in the same spot he was before, his face still pale and terrified. I take a few steps toward him so that he's within earshot. "Come here, love," I say softly.

"Scott," he replies, gulping. "What the fuck was that?"

"What was what?" I ask, my heart sinking.

"That." He points to Jeremy.

I quickly glance over my shoulder to see Jeremy -- or rather, what's left of him. It's disgusting. Honestly, truly disgusting. I look away. "She...she tried to hurt you," I mutter. "So I...I..."

Mitch looks at me with wide eyes, but says nothing else.

I take another step towards him, but he flinches and takes a step back, as if he's worried that I'm capable of hurting him, too.

He's scared of me. My heart breaks in half. He's terrified of me.

"Scotty, she's waking up," Lindsey says, and I'm by her side in an instant, not wanting to think for too long about what I've done.

Rose looks different than Kirstin. Still recognizable, but different. Rose's hair is dark and long, rather than blonde and short. Her lips aren't as full. She looks older, but is overall smaller. And she's far more beautiful.